Xero Software in Accounting Education: Enhancing Digital Acumen and Employability

This research investigates the effectiveness of Xero accounting software in enhancing digital acumen and employability within the context of South African accounting education. The study employed a multi-method approach with 839 accounting students; the research investigated how Xero accounting software impacted their digital acumen skills and job readiness. Data was collected through academic performance analysis (quantitative data) and student reflections (qualitative data). This data included students’ marks on the Xero assignment’s four phases (data migration, processing financial data, importation of financial data and extraction of financial reports). The study’s findings offer encouraging preliminary indications that Xero accounting software can contribute to the development of essential digital acumen skills and desirable graduate attributes. While the assignment presented challenges, it demonstrably achieved attainable learning goals and fostered increased student engagement. Additionally, the assignment provided valuable insights into students’ strengths and weaknesses for future attention once they have embarked on an employment opportunities search. This paper contributes to our understanding of how Xero accounting software can be utilised to foster meaningful participation and develop students’ digital acumen skills to meet the demands of the labour market.